|
} |} HMS ''Lark'' was a 16-gun ship sloop of the ''Cormorant'' class, launched in 1794 at Northfleet. She served primarily in the Caribbean, where she took a number of prizes, some after quite intensive action. ''Lark'' foundered off San Domingo in August 1809, with the loss of her captain and almost all her crew. ==French Revolutionary Wars== ''Lark'' was commissioned in March 1794 under Commander Josias Rowley. Later that year Commander Francis Austen, who would go on to rise to the rank of Admiral of the Fleet, served on her when she was part of a fleet that evacuated British troops from Ostend and Nieuwpoort after the French captured the Netherlands. In 1795, the ''Lark'' was part of the squadron under Commodore Payne that escorted Princess Caroline of Brunswick to England. That same year she was part of the British naval force that supported the invasion of France by a force of French ''émigrés''. n January 1795 Commander William Ogilvy recommissioned her. On 21 March 1796, ''Lark'' joined the 32-gun frigate , Captain James Newman-Newman, in providing support to an unsuccessful attack by British troops from Port-au-Prince on the town and fort of Léogane on the island of Hispaniola. Commander James Hayes was appointed captain of ''Lark'' in 1798.〔 In late 1798 or early 1799, while on the Jamaica station, boats from the 98-gun second rate and ''Lark'', under the temporary command of Lieutenant Hugh Cooke, cut out a schooner of four guns from Port Nieu in the West Indies. During this period, ''Lark'', with captured two merchant vessels and destroyed one, and ''Lark'' alone destroyed another.〔 In April 1799 Commander John Wentworth Loring took command.〔 ''Lark'' then captured another schooner. Between 12 February and 21 May 1799, ''Lark'' captured two small privateers, a French schooner and a Spanish lateen-rigged vessel of one 6-pounder and two swivel guns, as well as seven merchant vessels. At some point between 26 June and October, ''Lark'' captured the American brig ''Sally'', which was sailing from St. Thomas to Havana with 23 "new Negroes". Between 21 July and October ''Lark'' captured six more vessels: *Spanish schooner ''La Reyna Louisa'', from Truxill bound to Havana, laden with nails, paint, white lime, leather, etc.; *Schooner ''Aurora'', under American colours, from New York bound to Vera Cruz, laden with single sheet tin, pigs (ingots) of tin, dry goods, etc. (Spanish Property); *Ship ''America'', under American colours, from Providence in America, to Havana, laden with salt; she had already landed part of her cargo at Turk's Island; *Schooner ''Betsy'', under American colours, from Charleston bound to Havana, laden with sheet and pig lead; *Schooner ''Daphne'', under American colours, from Philadelphia bound to Havana, laden with dry goods and iron work for sugar mills (Spanish property); and *Brig ''Mary'', under American colours, from Baltimore bound to Vera Cruz, laden with dry goods (Spanish property). At some point after 27 October 1799 ''Lark'' captured three more vessels: *Spanish brig ''Nostra Senora de los Delores''. She was of 140 tons, armed with four guns and had a crew of 30 men. She was from Havana bound to Vera Cruz with a cargo of cocoa. ''Lark'' was in company with and ; *Spanish brig ''Santo Domingo y San Juan Nepumaceno'', taken off Cape Catouche. She was of 110 tons, armed with two guns, and had a crew of ten men. She was carrying a cargo of brandy, wine, oil, olives, and tin; *Spanish polacca ''Londre San Antonio de Padua'', also taken off Cape Catouche. She was of 120 tons, armed with six guns, and had a crew of 18 men. She was carrying a cargo dry goods, brandy, wine, oil, olives, and tin. During the same period, ''Lark'' recaptured from a Spanish privateer an English sloop, laden with provisions. Between 9 and 20 March 1800, ''Lark'' took or destroyed six privateers and other small vessels. These included the French schooner ''Creole de Cuba'', in ballast and destroyed on 9 March, a canoe loaded with timber taken on 14 March, the sloop ''Lively'' recaptured that same day, a French privateer destroyed on 15 March, a Spanish sloop in ballast, destroyed on 19 March, and a French schooner loaded with salt and taken on 20 March. The most intense action amongst these six captures occurred off Santiago de Cuba on 14 March when Loring saw a privateer schooner in a bay. He sent boats to bring her out but the enemy had established fortifications on the two heights that guarded the bay. From there, the enemy was able to repulse the attack, killing the lieutenant in command of the boats. ''Lark'' then put ashore a landing party some ten miles down the coast. This landing party marched up the coast and attacked the privateer from the rear with the result that when Loring led boats back into the bay he found the landing party had already captured the quarry. The privateer had two carriage guns and Loring destroyed her rather than bring her out.〔 At some point during or after this, ''Lark'' captured or destroyed several more vessels. The list below may, but probably does not, overlap the list for the period 9 to 20 March. *French brig ''Voltigeur'', which was carrying a cargo of coffee. She was armed with four guns and had a crew of 24 men.〔 *French schooner ''Volante'' in ballast and destroyed; *French schooner ''Trompeuse'' taken while sailing from Jeremie to St. Jago (Santiago de Cuba) with a cargo of salt; *French schooner ''Trois Amis'' taken with a cargo of coffee; *French sloop of unknown name, taken in ballast; *French schooner of unknown name taken while sailing from Jeremie to St. Jago with a cargo of salt; *American schooner ''Freedom'' taken while sailing from Turk's Island to St. Jago with a cargo of salt; *Spanish sloop ''Fortune'', taken while sailing from Porto Bello to Kingston with a cargo of cattle; *Spanish schooner ''Misericordia'' taken while sailing from Old Spain to St. Jago with a cargo of dry goods; *Two privateer barges; and *French sloop ''Hazard'', which was in ballast and which ''Lark'' destroyed.〔 While still on the Jamaica station under Vice-Admiral Lord Hugh Seymour, between 3 August and 3 January 1801 ''Lark'' captured three more merchant vessels: *French schooner of unknown name with a cargo of cattle; *Danish schooner ''Venus'', of 35 tons with a cargo of coffee; and *American schooner ''Edward and Edmond'', of 80 tons and laden with cocoa. During this period ''Lark'' capsized in a hurricane. The crew cut away her masts and rigging and she righted herself. She then had to be towed into Santo Domingo. Loring had her repaired and did so so expeditiously that Admiral Lord Hugh Seymour appointed him as acting captain of , which had just arrived with her crew in a demoralized and mutinous state.〔Keppel (1899), pp.16-7.〕 In May 1801, ''Lark'' was under the command of Commander James Katon (pro tem). ''Lark's'' next action occurred on September 13, 1801.〔 With Lieutenant James Johnstone as acting captain, ''Lark'' chased a Spanish privateer schooner along the coast of Cuba until evening, when the schooner took refuge within the Portillo Reefs. Johnstone sent his yawl and cutter, each with sixteen men, including officers, to capture her. The privateer, which was armed with a long 8-pounder and two 4-pounders, opened fire on the boarding party. Still, the British prevailed, though they lost one man killed and a midshipman and 12 sailors wounded. The Spanish lost 21 dead, including their captain Joseph Callie, and six wounded; ''Lark'' took the remainder of the 45 man crew prisoner. The privateer was the ''Esperanza'' out of Santiago, and in the previous month she had taken the British sloop ''Eliza'' and the brig ''Betsey''. In April 1802 Edward Pelham Brenton took command. In July James Tippet may have been appointed to command,〔 but on 4 July ''Lark'' left Jamaica for England. On 15 August, two days before she reached Plymouth, ''Lark'' encountered the brig ''Jane''. ''Jane'' had apparently run out of food and water so Brenton provided her with some.〔''Naval Chronicle'', Vol. 8, p.174.〕 After reaching Plymouth, ''Lark'' sailed the next day to Woolwich to be paid off. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「HMS Lark (1794)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|